The small band gap and large Bohr radius of Pb (Pb)-chalcogenide materials enables unique optical, electrical and chemical properties with respect to potential applications in solar cells, thermoelectric devices, telecommunication equipment, field effect transistors and biological imaging. However, integrating Pb-chalcogenide materials in these devices requires precise control of their properties. A method for controlling the properties of a Pb-chalcogen material is to control the shape and size of nanoparticles of the material.
Pb-chalcogenide nanoparticles are a family of group IV-VI nanoparticles that are of particular interest due to their size tunable optical and emission properties. Several methods for the preparation of Pb-chalcogenide nanoparticles have been studied, but each has significant deficiencies that have limited the development of technologies based on these materials. As such, an improved method for producing, and controlling the shape and size of, Pb-chalcogenide nanoparticles is needed.